Cradle for long draft spinning



June 12, 1951 R POPE 2,557,036

CRADLE FOR LONG DRAFT SPINNING Filed May 10, 1947 INVENTOR. E/Cfidf/E Pope Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRADLE FOR LONG DRAFT SPINNING Richard R. Pope, Sylacauga, Ala., as Signor to Avondale Mills, a corporation of Alabama Application May 10, 1947, Serial No. 747,343

8 Claims. 1 This invention relates to cradles for long draft spinning frames in which endless aprons or belts are employed for conducting fibers from one pair of rolls to the next, and has for an object the provision of a device of the character designated which shall include improved guiding means for the aprons, and improved means for mounting the rolls in the cradle.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cradle which shall include improved means for securing the apron guide bars against motion relative to each other and to the side plates of the cradle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cradle which shall include a frame section having side plates rigidly joined together and locking plates detachable with respect to the side plates and in which "the guide bars are mounted. A still further object of my invention is to provide a cradle including a frame section having side plates rigidly joined together and lockmg plates detachably connected to the side plates,

and in which the bearing surfaces for supporting the entire cradle from the lower roll are wholly in the locking plates.

My invention is further characterized by its simplicity of design and ease of manufacture and one which may be easily assembled and mounted in a spinning frame.

In the spinning of yarn by the long draft system I have found it to be of the greatest importance that relative motion between the aprons guiding and holding the fibers :be reduced to a minimum, or else an uneven yarn will be produced. I have further found that loose guide bars capable of t movement with respect to each other and with respect to the side plates in which they have heretofore been mounted have been the principal contributing factors in producing this relative movement and uneven yarn. Another difficulty in the design of cradles as heretofore known to me has resided in the provision of lateral guiding means for the aprons. Such guiding means has heretofore, so far as I am aware, consisted in some separate, detachable part, connected in some way to the side plates, but which was liable to become loose, permitting relative movement of the aprons.

These and other difiiculties are overcome in accordance with my invention in which I provide a cradle having side plates rigidly secured together and each of which is provided with a recess for receiving and partially embracing the lower side of the bottom roll of a pair of drawing rolls. Over these side plates are detachably secured a pair of locking plates in one of which the apron guide bars are fixedly mounted. The locking plates are provided with hearing recesses for the rolls, a lower recess fitting over the lower roll and an upper recess receiving the top roll. The

aprons are thus accurately guided laterally bythe side plates and the guide bars are rigidly held against motion relative to each other or to the.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the frame section and locking plates; and

Fig. 4 is a side View partly in section showing the cradle assembled and mounted on a pair of I drawing rolls.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, 1 show a pair of drafting rolls comprising a lower roll it and an upper roll ll, having a lower apron l2 and an upper apron l3 mounted thereon. My improved cradle comprises side plates I 5 and I6 rigidly joined together by means of cross rods I! and 8. The rear cross rod l3 extends beyond the side plates M and Hi to form button head projections I9 and 2|. In the side plates M and 5-5 are recesses 22 and 23 which fit about the lower side of the lower drawing roll [8 when the cradle is as sembled in the frame. At the front of the side plates [4 and it are guide bar receiving notches 24 and 26. I

Cooperating with the side plates M and it are a pair of locking plates 2'! and 28. The locking plates 27 and 28 are provided on their lower sides with recesses 29 and Si, respectively, for partially encircling the upper side of the lower draft roll Ill and cooperating with the side plates Hi and It to encircle it completely. In the upper portion of the locking plates 21 and 28 are upper recesses 32 and 33 for receiving the bearing portions of the upper draft roll I I.

Carried by the locking plate 2'! and rigidly secured thereto in properly spaced relation are a pair of flat apron guide bars 34 and 36 which are adapted to be received in the notches 24 and 26 of the side plates. The free ends of the guide bars 34 and 36 extend beyond the side plate I6 when the cradle is assembled and are provided with grooves 31 and 38 near their ends. At the rear of the locking plate 21 1s a notch 39 which, when the cradle is assembled, engages the button head i9, similar to the button head 2|, of the cross rod l8. Also carried by the locking plate 27, near the rear thereof, is a detent 4! which is adapted to snap into a socket or recess 42 in the locking plate l4 when the cradle is assembled. The buttonhead projection I9 thus holds the locking plate 21 against outward movement with respect to the side plate l4, and the detent and socket connection 4| and 42 prevents any sliding motion between the locking plate and the side plate.

The locking plate 28 is provided with a vertically extending, elongated opening 43 adapted to receive the free end of the guide bar 36 and a second opening 44 the lower portion of which is parallel to the opening 43, for receiving the free end of the guide bar 34 and about which the grooved portion is rotatable. The latter opening continues through an arcuate portion 46 and terminates in a horizontal portion 41. In applying the locking plate 28, it is turned to the dotted position shown in Fig. 4 to receive the free ends of the guide bars 34 and 3.6 and is then rotated to its looking, or full line position.

It will be seen that the arcuate portion 46 of the opening 44 permits a rotary movement of the locking plate 28 about the free ends of the guide bars. The upper ends of the slot 43 and the lower side of the horizontal portion 4'! of the slot 44 are spaced the same distance apart as the upper side of the free end of the guide bar 36 and the lower side of the free end of the guide bar 34. The locking plate 28 thus serves as a means for retaining the free ends of the bars 34 and 38 in spaced relation. Also, it will be seen from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that the action of the belt, or apron I2 is to draw the free end of the guide bar 36 downwardly. It will also be seen that the free end of the guide bar 36, when assembled, rests on the lower side of the slot 28 in the side plate 5. The guide bar 35 is thus prevented from moving downwardly. It will also be seen that the action of the apron it tends to pull the guide bar 34 upwardly, but this is prevented by its engagement with the upper side of the horizontal portion 41 of the opening 44.

At the rear of the locking plate 28 is a notch 49 which fits over the buttonhead projection 2| at the rear of the side plate 16 when the locking plate 28 is in looking position. Similarly there is provided a detent near the rear of the locking plate 28 which snaps into a recess or socket 52 in the side plate 26 to prevent relative sliding motion between Elle side plate I6 and locking plate 28 when the cradle is assembled.

When assembled, the side bars 34 and 35 are firmly held in position and against relative motion with respect to each other and with respect to the side plates. The guide bars 34 and 35 are, of course, held by their rigid connection with the locking plate 27 and at their opposite ends by their engagement with the locking plate 28 and sides of the notch 26. The openings 43 and 44 engage the forward sides of the free ends of the guide bars and draw them tightly against the rear side of the notch 26. In this assembled position it will be seen that the looking plates are each connected to the side plates at three points; namely, at the forward notches 4 24 and 26, at the engagement of the notches 39 and 49 with the buttonhead projections l9 and 2| and at the detent socket connection 4| and 42 and El and 52. In order to disassemble the cradle the locking plate 28 is sprung away from the side plate l6 sufficiently to disengage the detent and socket connection, whereupon it may be disengaged from the guide bars 34 and 36 and removed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised a cradle which is firmly held in place on and supported by the bottom roll, has a minimum of relative motion between the aprons, and which provides a positive locking of the guidebars at the front of the cradle. My improved cradle may be completely assembled in a spinning frame from the side instead of the top, as with prior art cradles, and is thus much easier to assemble. The portion of the cradle comprising the side plates 14 and it is not subjected to wear and accordingly has a relatively long life. I have found by actual trial that my improved cradle produces a much smoother yarn than that produced in cradles of the prior art.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cradle for long draft spinning comprising a pair of side plates rigidly joined together in spaced relation, locking plates detachably fitting against the sides of the side plates, apron guide bars carried by one of the locking plates, and means for detachably securing the other locking plate to the guide bars.

2. A cradle for long draft spinning comprising a pair of unitar side plates rigidly joined together in spaced relation, each having a transversely aligned notch in its front portion, a pair of apron guide bars extending across the side plates and fitting in the notches, a locking plate disposed adjacent the outer side of one of the side plates, means rigidly securing the apron guide bars to the said locking plate, a second locking plate disposed adjacent the outer side of the other side plate, and means detachably securing the second locking plate to the apron guide bars and to the adjacent side plates.

3. A cradle for long draft spinning comprising a pair of side plates rigidly joined together in spaced relation and each having a notch therein at the front thereof, a pair of guide bars fitting in the notches and extending across the cradle, locking plates detachably fitting against the sides of the side plates, means to rigidly secure the guide bars to one of said locking plates and means to detachably secure the guide bars to the other locking plate, and means at the rear of the cradle for engaging and holding the locking plates in place.

4. In a long draft spinning system including upper and lower draft rolls and aprons for said rolls, a cradle for said aprons comprising side plates rigidly joined together in spaced relation and each having a recess therein open at the top for embracing the lower portion of the bottom roll, locking plates detachably fitting alongside the side plates and each having a recess therein fitting over and bearing on the upper portion of the bottom roll and a second recess above the first recess for receiving the top roll, a pair of apron guide bars extending continuously across the cradle, and means to rigidly secure the guide bars to one of said locking plates and means to detachably secure the guide bars to the other locking plate.

5. In a cradle for long draft spinning systems, a pair of side plates having upwardly opening slots therein engageable about the under surface of a lower draft roll, cross members rigidly secured to the side plates and holding the same in spaced relation and with the slots thereof transversely aligned, a pair of locking plates each of which has a downwardly opening slot therein engageable over the upper surface of the lower draft roll and an upwardly opening slot for rotatably supporting an upper draft roll, said downwardly opening slots cooperating with the upwardly opening slots of the side plates and engaging the lower roll when the locking plates are placed alongside the side plates, a pair of parallel spaced apart apron guide bars rigidly mounted to one of the locking plates and of a length to extend past the outer side of the opposite side plate, there being forwardly opening aligned slots in the side plates of a depth approximating the width.

of the apron guide bars in which said bars fit when the cradle is assembled, and means to de-.

tachably secure the extending free ends of the bars to the other locking plate and to the adjacent side plate to complete the assembly of the cradle.

6. In a cradle for a long draft spinning system including upper and lower draft rolls and aprons for said rolls, a pair of side plates rigidly joined together in spaced relation, each having a recess therein embracing the lower portion of a bottom roll, a notch formed in the front of each of the side plates, 2. locking plate on one side of the cradle having apron guide bars secured thereto and extending across the cradle to engage in the notches in the side plates, the free ends of said guide bars extending beyond their associated side plate and having grooves therein, a second locking plate having openings therein for engaging in the grooves and movable arcuately above the ends of said guide bars, there being a recess in each of said locking plates fitting over the bottom draft roll and a second recess receiving the top draft roll, a button head projection at the rear of each side plate, a notch formed in the rear of each locking plate engaging over the projection on its associated side plate, and a detent and socket fastening between each locking plate and its associated side plate for restraining the lock- 6 ing plates and side plates against relative sliding motion.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which the openings in the second locking plate are spaced to hold the free ends of the guide bars in spaced relation.

8. In a cradle for a long draft spinning system including upper and lower draft rolls and aprons for said rolls, side plates each having an upwardly opening U-shaped recess for receiving the lower draft roll, cross members rigidly connecting the side plates together, one of which members projects at each end outwardly of the side plates, there being a groove formed in each projecting end of the cross member and disposed in close proximity to the outer sides of the side plates, a locking plate cooperable with one side plate, upper and lower apron guide bars projecting rigidly from a side of said locking plate and of a length to project past the other side plate when the cradle is assembled, there being grooves in the free ends of the guide bars disposed to lie in close proximity to the outside of the other side plate, a second locking plate engaging within the grooves in the guide bars and movable arouately thereabout from assembled to unassembled position, there being downwardly directed slots in both of said locking plates cooperating with the grooves formed in the projecting ends of the cross member, snap lock means for holding the downwardly directed slots in cooperative relation with the grooves in the cross member, there being an upwardly opening U-shaped recess in each locking plate for receiving the bearing portion of the upper draft roll, and bearings in the form of downwardly opening semi-circular cutouts on the bottom edges of said locking plates for engaging the upper surface of the lower draft roll thereby to support the entire cradle.

RICHARD R. POPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,027,211 Thomas et al Jan. '7, 1936 2,100,139 Honda Nov. 23, 1937 2,121,137 West June 21, 1938 2,160,545 Honda May 30, 1939 2,206,432 Scofield July 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 531,114 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1940 

